Monday, 3 January 2011

Holiday Finale

If there is anything that a summer holiday should be, it's fun and surprising. We managed to have both of these in abundance during the last week and a bit. After three nights at Paul and Viv's holiday house. We came home and relaxed for 36 hours, and then hurriedly packed for holiday house number two belonging to Trish and Antony.

The drive was long, both due to traffic and car troubles but as we drove the dirt road that took us to their property I could tell we were in for a very different and special few days.

Photos couldn't quite capture this quaint, earthy property. With it's log and mud brick construction and stain glass windows. It felt homely and yet completely surrounded by nature. We spent two days and nights talking, drinking, laughing and swimming in the creek, all the wile checking the kids for leeches, ticks and checking our beds for rouge bugs or lizards.

Talk about friends with benefits. I feel like our two closest family friends and their new holiday properties completely cover the two sides of our families personality. One is total luxury and relaxation and the other gets us back to our love of beauty and nature. Even better, both were filled with conversation, kids, good food and wine and a sense of nurturing our souls.

After a drunken NYE and a relaxing birthday, we headed home for another long, hot drive and on returning home Andrew realised just how sick he really was.

I guess one of the downsides to summer holidays is that they always seem to end to soon. In a perfect world tomorrow we would head back to join our friends for a few more relaxing celebratory days before real life kicks back in. In reality real life kicked back in today. Andrew was sick, it's raining and the kids are bickering the way all siblings do.

On the upside my reserves are full and it was Jacks 6th birthday today so we have also had a lot of cuddles and photos taken (Jack got a camera for his birthday) and we spent the evening watching old home movies of when the kids were young.

Now it's time to get ready for Jacks party on the weekend, restock the fridge and remember what being at home is really like.

But tonight I'll dream of swimming and laughing and one of the best summer holidays we have had since being parents.